The New Normal
by Bag Of Badgers
Summary: Deanon. It's the morning after a serious contender for the best night of Germany's life, and it might just become normal. GerIta, not for the kids.


Ludwig blinks awake, feeling oddly calm and happy for someone who just woke up, and does not have to wonder why for very long. Feliciano lies sprawled across him, which is normal, and he's naked, which is normal, but so is Ludwig and that is not normal at all, and besides he remembers last night quite well and he's heard that… _those_ sorts of activities induce calmness afterwards, anyway. The sudden heart palpitations could probably also be passed off as a normal post-coital occurrence, or so Ludwig hopes (even though they tend to happen without doing _that_ anyway, around Feliciano).

And then Feliciano lifts his head and opens his lovely brown eyes and stares muzzily at Ludwig, whose heart drops precipitously- what if he hadn't liked it? What if he'd just been going along with it, what if he'd lost his respect for Ludwig, oh God what if he didn't love Ludwig anymore- and Ludwig knows those are silly, irrational things to be thinking, but for that split second he's the most terrified he's ever been.

But then, Feliciano's face splits in a grin, and he pulls himself up and kisses Ludwig on the nose, and then on the mouth, and he's still smiling when he pulls away and Ludwig's hands have found their way into Feliciano's curly hair, how had that happened? Feliciano seems to be nearly purring at this, and nestles his head into the crook of Ludwig's shoulder, all sleep-warm skin and soft eyes and a little stubble. He yawns.

"Good morning, Ludwig," he hums eventually into the German's neck. Ludwig can feel his smile, smiling is a full-body act with Feliciano, like everything else.

Ludwig "Good morning"s back and stares up at the ceiling. He knows, in the back of his mind, that he needs to get out of bed at some point, but somehow with Feliciano there it seems less important. The man in question idly traces random patterns across Ludwig's shoulder and down his chest, and then pipes up again in his soft early-morning-no-coffee voice.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Very." Ludwig means it, too, after- after, when his heart had slowed enough for him to sleep, that had been probably the best rest he'd had in a month. "Did you?"

"Mm. Yes." Feliciano looks up at Ludwig's face, cheeks beginning to pink. "Uh, and… last night, did you- did you like it?"

Feeling the beginnings of a blush on his face, Ludwig glances away, but says, "I, uh. Yes." He pauses. "A- a lot, actually."

"Really?" It hurts a little, hearing Feliciano so surprised, but then Ludwig had been having the same sorts of worries not too long ago.

Speaking of. "Y-yes, really. Did you enjoy last night?" Feliciano actually does start blushing, but nods enthusiastically all the same before laying his head back down on Ludwig's shoulder. Ludwig nuzzles a kiss into his brown hair, not entirely caring how much affection he was showing and caring probably too much about how much he did or didn't care.

Feliciano continues. "Because, see, I was kind of worried, and I know I shouldn't be but Lovino says these sorts of things all the time and so do some of the regioni and I know you tell me not to worry about these things so much but I…" His voice trails off and becomes quieter, and Ludwig rests a hand on his back as comfortingly as he knows how. "I thought you might not want me anymore." Feliciano is nearly inaudible, and speaking fast, and his tan shoulders are hunched and he avoids Ludwig's gaze.

Ludwig doesn't really know what to do, so he pulls the green comforter up higher around them and looks Feliciano in the eye. "I _wouldn't_ leave you, especially like that," he says, and means it more than anything. "I wouldn't- Feliciano, I promised. Remember?"

Feliciano says "Yes, but-"

"But nothing. I promised." Ludwig is quite definitely blushing by now, but he soldiers on regardless. "Feliciano, I pinky swore. You said yourself, no backing out of that, and I couldn't if I wanted to. Which I don't. So." This speech had trailed off near the end, and Ludwig clears his throat once or twice, feeling a little foolish.

Feliciano smiles again, and holds his hand in front of him. "Swear again?"

Ludwig feels even more foolish, but links his pinky with Feliciano's anyway. He takes a breath and tries to look as serious as possible. "Feliciano Vargas. I am not going to leave you until you want me to."

"And I'm not leaving unless you want me to either," Feliciano nearly chirps. "There! Like I told you, no backing out!" He leans up and kisses Ludwig, soft and thorough and smelling of rich earth and green things, and settles himself full on Ludwig's chest, face inches from Ludwig's own. "So," he breathes, "what're we going to do today?"

Ludwig shrugs a little. "I don't have to be anywhere until after noon."

"Neither do I." Feliciano's grin widens, and it's infectious. "Good. That's good! We can stay here!" And he kisses Ludwig again through their smiles, and doesn't pull away for a very long time, and begins to chuckle faintly against Ludwig's lips.

Feliciano continues laughing as he rolls the couple over, and through the general flailing as they struggle to extricate themselves from the clutches of the comforter. Eventually they manage this, and Ludwig leans down to kiss Feliciano again, and Feliciano rubs himself against Ludwig, and both of them run their hands along each other's body again and again and shake because this closeness is so, so new and a little terrifying and completely euphoric.

While Ludwig prepares him, a little clumsily, Feliciano is still laughing- quiet and interrupted by moans, but there- and he twitches his hips forwards and twists the sheets in his fingers when Ludwig slides in a third finger. He's pliable- this is something Ludwig noticed last night, too, Feliciano doesn't tense and freeze, he trusts that he won't be hurt, and this makes something warm and shaky build inside of Ludwig's chest. By the time Feliciano reaches up to help Ludwig get the condom on, his laughter has subsided to small chuckles, and even though Ludwig isn't laughing himself he understands Feliciano's laughing completely because the sheer exhilaration of Feliciano wrapping his legs around Ludwig's waist and his arms around Ludwig's shoulders as Ludwig pushes in is like nothing else he's ever felt.

Feliciano's eyes are wide as Ludwig begins to move, wide and brown and clear and crinkling at the corners because he's smiling hugely in that full-body way only he has, and Ludwig feels an answering smile tug at his lips. With some hasty readjustment of Feliciano's legs, they manage to get close enough to kiss, Ludwig propped up on his forearms and Feliciano grasping his hands. Neither of them break the kiss, they breathe each other in and Feliciano tangles his fingers with Ludwig's and opens up beneath him, rolling his hips up and forwards and letting out soft moans.

When Ludwig reaches down with one hand and takes hold of Feliciano and begins stroking him gently, the groan and the back-arching from Feliciano are worth far, far more than the fact that Ludwig's going to come soon.

And Feliciano's gasps and cries take on a more urgent quality, and Ludwig could swear he hears "there" and "love you" among the breathless Italian spilling from Feliciano's lips, and he responds in kind in German even he can't comprehend but Feliciano gets the message and tightens _so_wonderfully and _oh_-

Ludwig comes with _schön, schön_ on his lips and a vague feeling that his heart is going to explode.

After he pulls out, he continues to stroke Feliciano, who pants into his mouth and shortly comes all over his hand. Feliciano flops back against the pillows and lets Ludwig get rid of the condom and wipe the both of them off, and then pulls him back to lie down. He does all this with a wide, white-toothed smile and closed eyes, and his hair is even more of a mess than when they woke up, and every move he makes is lazy and slow as he curls up on top of Ludwig again, stubble scratching on Ludwig's chest, and Ludwig lets him and feels strangely warm and full and generally like he could lie here forever and ignore his jobs and duties and only pay attention to the small, pleased sounds Feliciano produces.

The Italian stretches out languidly and says, "You liked that too, right?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Ah, good," and Feliciano pushes a lock or two of hair out of Ludwig's eyes and runs fingers over his cheek and across his stubbly chin, and smiles fondly, and the warm full feeling in Ludwig's chest expands tenfold, and even though it's odd for him to fall back asleep at this hour and it's definitely unscheduled, Feliciano is already drifting off and Ludwig sees little harm in following.

He manages to pull the blankets back up around them, and mumbles _liebe dich sehr_ very quietly- Feliciano seems to hear anyhow, and slurs out _ti amo così tanto_- and then he slips asleep, at 9:34 AM covered in blankets and warm Italian.

They eventually do get out of bed and make breakfast, which is normal, and listen to the radio, which is normal, and Feliciano calls Ludwig _tesoro_ once or twice, which isn't normal and makes Ludwig's heart stutter a little, but he thinks that this becoming normal wouldn't be bad at all.

* * *

Translations: schön: beautiful  
liebe dich sehr: love you a lot  
ti amo così tanto: I love you so much  
tesoro: (pet name) treasure


End file.
